Westwood out of pro-am

The virus which led to Lee Westwood pulling out of the Bridgestone Invitational in Akron on Sunday has also brought his withdrawal from the pro-am on the eve of the BMW International Open in Munich.

But Westwood's eagerness to give his claims for a Ryder Cup wildcard one final push means he remains in the tournament starting Thursday.

The former European number one, unable to qualify automatically for the team now, said: "I am extremely keen to show Ian Woosnam that I deserve a place. I am far from 100% fit, but aim to start and see how it goes."

American Fred Couples, who had been staying in an adjoining hotel room in America last week, also pulled out before the final round.